The Dwarfs are an ancient race, and have lived in the Old World for thousands of years. Their cities have always been built beneath the ground. Tunnelled under the rocks and through the mountainsides they formed a vast empire under the earth. Through the centuries the Dwarfs' power grew, and as their tunnels delved ever deeper, the mountains yielded up their most valuable treasures - gold, silver, jewels and precious stones to swell the coffers of the Dwarf kings.
Hundreds of years ago, disaster struck when vast armies of Orcs and Goblins assaulted the Dwarf homeland. City after city fell in desperate battle, and today the Dwarfs retain only a tiny fraction of their great kingdom and the power they held in ages past.
The Dwarfs are a long-lived people and immensely proud. They are very honourable, and never forget a debt they owe to another. They do tend to be bad-tempered, brusque, and intolerant of fools, but these bad points are more than offset by their steadfastness, reliability and loyalty to their companions. Though short, they are immensely strong and resilient, and wield their massive axes with great power and skill.
Dwarfs have long memories, and never forget any wrong they or their family have suffered. They cherish the glorious memories of their past and yearn for the days when their greatest cities will ring again to the sound of Dwarf voices, and the Orcs and Goblins have been driven back to their squalid homes in the Darklands.
All Dwarfs love treasure, especially gold. The Dwarf has joined the rest of the Warriors in the journey back to the lands of his ancestors in search of glory, lost treasures and vengeance. Every Orc killed, and every Goblin sent fleeing into the darkness, is a step towards the deliverance of his ancient birthright.
The above introductory text is from the Warhammer Quest Rule Book
These rules are split into three sections: a basic Warhammer quest section, an Advanced Warhammer Quest section, and a Roleplay section.
The Warhammer Quest rules contain all the rules for using the Dwarf in your games. The Advanced Rules cover all the rules for the progression of the Dwarf through the Battle-levels, including any skills or special rules, and the final section gives rules for using the Dwarf in the full roleplay system.
The profile of a Dwarf is as follows:
| Wounds | 1D6+8 |
| Move | 4 |
| Weapon Skill | 4 |
| Ballistic Skill | 5+ |
| Strength | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 (5) |
| Initiative | 2 |
| Attacks | 1 |
| Pinning Roll | 5+ |
The Dwarf starts off with 1D6+8 Wounds. Remember that when rolling Wounds, if you roll a 1, you may re-roll the dice, but if you roll a 1 a second time, you must keep it.
Great Axe - The Great Axe causes normal damage (1D6 + the Dwarf's Strength), but an extra 1D6 should also be rolled. The Dwarf may choose the higher dice resultto use for the damage result. If he rolls doubles, he may add the two dice together and then add his strength for the damage result. Tripping on his beard - However, ff he rolls a double 1, his attack goes horribly wrong and he trips over his beard. He must spend the rest of the turn getting up, and while he's doing so any Monsters attacking him adds +2 to their to hit rolls.
Armour - The Dwarf also starts the game with Chainmail. This chainmail provides +1 Toughness (and no movement penalty).
Rope - The Dwarf carries a rope which can be used by any Warrior to escape from a pit. Each time it is used, roll 1D6. On a result of 1 or 2 the rope breaks after use and is destroyed
The rules in this section are used in conjunction with the Role-playing game. They explain all about taking your Dwarf through the Battle-levels, visiting Settlements and gaining skills.
Great Axe Advanced Rule - Whenever the Dwarf is wielding his Great Axe and has more than one base damage dice (from his characteristic increase at Battle-Level 5, continue to roll his Great Axe's extra damage dice (1D6) as a separate roll from the other damage dice. The above Great Axe rules will then be modified according to the following: 1) The Dwarf may disregard the lowest dice rolled and replace it with the extra dice's result as usual; 2) If the separate/extra 1D6 result is equal to any of the other dice results, add all the dice together to determine damage; and, 3) The Dwarf will only trip on his beard if the extra dice result is a 1 and at least one of the base damage dice results is also a 1.
The following table has been modified from the FAQ found in the Museum to show how this advanced rule works.
For example, a Dwarf of battle-level 9 or 10 rolls the following:
| Normal Damage Dice | Axe Extra Dice |
Result |
||||
4 |
3 |
1 |
+ |
1 |
= |
A double one. The Dwarf trips over. |
4 |
3 |
1 |
+ |
2 |
= |
The Dwarf discards the lowest (1). Total damage is 9 + Strength. |
4 |
5 |
3 |
+ |
4 |
= |
A double (extra dice matches another, 4 & 4). He adds up all of the dice. Total damage is 16 + Strength. |
4 |
4 |
3 |
+ |
1 |
= |
The Dwarf discards the lowest (1). He adds up all of the other dice. Total damage is 11 + Strength. |
5 |
5 |
1 |
+ |
1 |
= |
A double one. The Dwarf trips over. |
5 |
1 |
1 |
+ |
2 |
= |
The Dwarf discards the lowest (1). Total damage is 8 + Strength. |
Another Example: Grimbeard Kragmire is a Battle-Level 5 Dwarf. He rolls 2d6 for damage and a separate 1D6 because he is using his Great Axe. The normal dice results are 2, and 4; the extra dice result is 5. Grimbeard chooses to drop the 2 and replace it with the 5, giving him a damage dice result of 9 instead of 6. On his next hit he rolls a 3 and 6 for his damage dice and a 3 for his separate/extra dice. These are all added together since the extra dice matches another one. The result then is 3+3+6 = 12 before adding his strength. Finally, on a death-blow, Grimbeird hits again and rolls 5 and 1 for his damage dice and a 1 on his extra dice. The 1 matches another 1 and causes him to trip on his beard.
Alternate Great Axe Advanced Rule - This rule is for those who want a more simple rule, but please be aware that generally both greater damage and greater frequency of tripping on his beard will be the result of following this rule. Just roll all the normal dice including the Great Axe extra dice and disregard the lowest single dice result, add the dice together, and then add the Dwarf's strength. If any two dice results match, add all the dice together for damage and then add the Dwarf's strength. If any two or more dice results are a 1, then the Dwarf trips and does no damage.
Of all equipment (weapons, armour, other mundane items, and magic items found as treasures) both in shops and that which is found in the dungeons, the Dwarf can only use those things identified with a capital D or which specifically state that A Dwarf can use them.
Some guidelines probably worth mentioning: The Dwarf will never use a bow. He leaves such crude weapons to the Elves and humans. Crossbows are more the Dwarf's style. He can use Muskets and pistols and will gladly do so if he feels the need and can afford to get his hands upon them. Melee weapons are a Dwarf's specialty. He is perfectly adapted to swinging, cutting and smashing with axes, hammers, maces and some swords. The Long Sword and the Broad Sword and not comfortable to his stature. He will not ride upon great beasts and, therefore, will not ride upon any animal larger than a mule. The Dwarf can wear any armour available in at the Armourer's shop. Of special note: The Dwarf can wear Heavy Armour without suffering a movement penalty.
A Dwarf may visit all the shops in a settlement.
A Dwarf may also visit the following special locations: The Alchemist Laboratory, the Alehouse (2d6), the Dwarf Guildmasters (see below), the Gambling House, and the Temple. He must find these special locations according to the normal rules (a result of 7+ by rolling 3d6 in a city and 2d6 in a town). Of these special locations, only an Alehouse is available in a village (see the Settlements section of the RolePlay Book for more details concerning the shops and special locations).
While in a Settlement, the Dwarf may visit his kin and buy special Dwarf-crafted items unavailable elsewhere. Dwarf Guildmasters are skilled at working metals and jewels, and have a great knowledge of mechanics, engines, gunpowder and other arcane sciences.
Who Can Visit The Dwarf Guildmasters? Only A Dwarf may visit the Dwarf Guildmasters, as they refuse access to anyone not of their own race.
Payment and Dwarf Goods - While at the Dwarf Guildmasters the Dwarf may buy any of the following items if they are in stock. Roll for stock just like in the shops (3d6 in city and 2d6 in town).
| Equipment | Cost (Buy) | Stock |
| Lock Tools | 200 | 7 |
| 1D6 Firebombs | 100 | 8 |
| 1D6 Bags of Flash Powder | 75 | 8 |
| 1D6 Leaves of Dwarf Stonebread | 30 | 2 |
Lock Tools
Lock tools allow the user to open any lock as long as it is not magical or the
rules for the lock specifically state otherwise. To see if your Warrior can open a lock, roll 1D6. On a score of 4, 5 or 6 the
lock opens. On a score of 2 or 3 the lock refuses to open at the moment,
though your Warrior may try again next turn. On a score of 1, the lock
tools are snapped off in the lock and are now useless. There is only one set of lock tools available (if the stock roll is a
success) at each Dwarf Guildmasters.
Firebombs
A firebomb may be thrown at any time and affects an area 2 squares by 2
squares. Any model in the area takes 1D6 Wounds, with no deductions for
Toughness or armour. Your Warrior may buy any number of Firebombs, up to the number available,
paying 100 gold for each one.
Flash Powder
Flash powder may be set off at any time to confuse the Warriors'
enemies. After it has exploded, any Warriors who have not yet fought this
turn get +1 Attacks. Your Warrior may buy any number of Bags of Flash Powder, up to the number
available, paying 75 gold for each one.
Dwarf Stonebread
Dwarf stonebread is exactly what its name suggests - bread with the consistency
of stone. No one but a Dwarf would contemplate eating the stuff, as to do
so is like asking for a mouthful of broken teeth. Dwarfs take a gruff
satisfaction in the fact that only they can manage to eat stonebread. Eating stonebread is obviously no quick task, even for Dwarfs. If a
Dwarf does nothing else for the turn, except stay where he is and eat stonebread,
then at the end of the Warriors' Phase he regains 1D6 Wounds.
Once you have rolled to see how much stonebread is available, your Warrior must purchase all of it. If he doesn't have enough gold to pay for it see Timewasting in the Settlements section of the RolePlay Book.
While at the Dwarf Guildmasters, the Dwarf may make one visit to a Runesmith to engrave a single rune on his axe. This costs (1D6+2) x 100 gold. To determine the exact rune inscribed, roll 1D6 on the following table:
| 1 | Magic Rune - The rune glows dully, and keeps the blade sharp. From now on this weapon is treated as being magical. Multiple runes of this type on a single weapon have no further effect. |
| 2 | Rune of Smashing - The weapon now ignores 1 point of armour when determining damage. |
| 3 | Rune of Restoration - While he wields this weapon, the bearer automatically gets 1 Wound back per turn. However, if the wielder is knocked to zero Wounds the weapon ceases to work until he is healed and back on his feet again. |
| 4 | Rune of Sure Striking - Whenever wielded by a Dwarf you may re-roll the damage dice that scores the lowest number if you wish. Multiple runes of this type on a single weapon have no further effect. |
| 5 | Rune of Destruction - Allows the wielder of the weapon to double his number of Attacks once per adventure. |
| 6 | Death Rune - Once during each adventure you may roll an extra 2D6 when determining damage. |
Note that only axes may be inscribed with runes.
If a single weapon has more than one identical rune inscribed on it, the effects are cumulative: two Death Runes, for instance, cause a weapon to inflict the extra damage twice per adventure (or once at twice the effect - 4D6 - if used on the same blow). Exceptions to this rule are the Magic Rune and the Rune of Sure Striking. If two Runes of Destruction are used in the same turn, the second rune adds again the Warrior's base number of attacks. For instance, if a Dwarf has 2 attacks, the first rune would add 2 more (doubling it) giving him 4 total attacks for the turn. The second Rune of Destruction would add 2 more attacks -- NOT 4 more -- for a total of 6 attacks for the turn.
You must declare that your Warrior is using a rune before rolling the dice to hit. It you miss the rune is wasted.
A Dwarf may only ever have two runes per Battle-level inscribed on each of his weapons at the Runesmith, though subject to this limit one or more of the runes may be of the same type. A Battle-level 5 Dwarf, for instance, may have a maximum of 10 runes inscribed on each of his weapons, even though up to all ten on a single weapon may be identical.
The Dwarf takes one full week for training to perfect the things he has learned in the dungeon(s). During this time, he cannot do anything else and does not pay living expenses, nor does he experience Settlement Events. After paying the required amount of gold as indicated on his Battle-Level Table (at the bottom of these rules), the Dwarf's characteristics are permanently adjusted according to the same table.
Additional Wounds - Whenever the table shows an increase in Wounds, roll 1d6 just like when creating your Dwarf in the beginning. Yes, you may re-roll the dice if the first roll is a 1; but, like before, you must accept the second roll even if it is a 1. The result is the number permanently added to the Dwarf's Starting Wounds.
New Skills - Whenever the Battle-Level table shows an increase in the number of skills, roll on the Dwarf's Skill Table given below to find out what skill he has learned. The number 1 at Battle-Level 2 indicates that the Dwarf learns his first skill at that level.
A Dwarf has the following skills available to him as he goes up his Battle-levels. To determine which specific skill he learns when given the opportunity roll 2D6. If the result is a skill that the Dwarf already has, re-roll until a new skill is learned.
| 2 | MIGHTY BLOW - Putting all
your strength behind your blow, you bring your weapon crashing down on
your opponent's body. This skill allows your Warrior to increase the Strength of his blows by trading the number of attacks he makes. For each Attack your Warrior gives up, he may roll an extra 1D6 Wounds on one of his remaining Attacks. You must declare that your Warrior is using this skill before rolling his to hit dice. This skill may be used once per turn. |
||||||||
| 3 | KILLING BLOW -
You judge the moment to strike perfectly and your blade slips
through your opponent's armour, spearing his vital organs. This skill allows your Warrior to cause an extra 2 Wounds on his opponent if his to hit roll was a natural 6. |
||||||||
| 4 | ENRAGED - Sour blade
cuts a red swathe through your enemies as you charge into combat in the
grip of a boiling fury. Once per turn, just before your Warrior makes his attacks, you may roll 1D6 on the following table:
|
||||||||
| 5 | ENDURE -
The Monster's attack carves a wound in your chest an inch deep,
but,. summoning your reserves of willpower, you grit your teeth and ignore
the terrible pain. This skill allows your Warrior to ignore the Wounds from a single blow that might otherwise kill him. This skill may be used once per dungeon. |
||||||||
| 6 | STONEMASTER - Running
your fingers along the wall you find the tell-tale concealed hinge of a
secret door. This skill allows your Warrior to identify secret doors in the dungeon walls. This skill may be used once on each board section and only when there are no Monsters on the board. Each dungeon only ever contains one such secret door, so once it is found there is no further point using this skill. Each time your Warrior checks a room or corridor roll 1D6 on the following table:
|
||||||||
| 7 | DEATHSONG - Before the
fatal blow falls you start to bellow the lament that is your family's
deathsong, drawing upon its history and meaning to sustain you. This skill allows your Warrior to survive below zero Wounds by drawing on his inner reserves of strength and willpower. As soon as your Warrior is knocked to zero Wounds or below he begins to sing a fearful, grim battledirge - his deathsong. Rather than falling down unconscious, your Warrior remains standing and can continue to fight. Place him on 1 Wound. Each time your Warrior is hit while singing his deathsong roll 1D6. On a score of 1, 2, 3 or 4 the blow has its normal effect, and takes your Warrior below 0 Wounds and into unconsciousness. On a score of 5 or 6 he ignores the blow's effects, remains standing and on 1 Wound. Your Warrior continues to sing his deathsong and remain on 1 Wound until he is healed in the normal manner. |
||||||||
| 8 | GOLDMASTER - Your
companions declare that they've found all the treasure here and it's time
to move on. You're not so sure, and have a feeling you ought to check out
that loose stone you saw by the door. . . This skill allows your Warrior to develop what amounts to a sixth sense when looking for hidden gold. Once all the Monsters in a room are dead and the party is dealing out treasure roll 2D6 x 10. If either of the dice comes up with a 1, your Warrior finds nothing, otherwise he finds that much extra gold concealed around the room.. |
||||||||
| 9 | GRUDGELORD - You've
barely had time to draw your axe when you realise with anger that the Orc
nearest the far corner is the same foul beast that burnt your brother's
village to the ground and killed its inhabitants. With no regard for
your own safety, you charge directly at it, swearing to avenge your kin. Your Warrior bears grudges against most of the inhabitants of the dungeons of the Warhammer World. As a group of Monsters are placed you may declare that your Warrior bears a grudge against one of them. As long as that Monster still lives your Warrior gets +1 on all of his to hit rolls. He will always attack the 'grudged' Monster if possible (breaking from pinning when he can, etc.) and gets double its Gold Value if he succeeds in killing it himself. This skill may be used once per dungeon. |
||||||||
| 10 | BLOOD-FEVER - Your eyes
glaze over as your axe swings to and fro wildly, a relentless cascade of
blows raining down upon the enemy. This skill allows your Warrior to trade in all of his attacks each turn for a single blood-fever attack. Make a normal attack. If you hit the target and kill it with that one blow, your Warrior can step forward one square and, if this takes him into contact with another Monster, he may make another attack. This process continues until your Warrior fails to kill his opponent. This skill may be used once per turn. |
||||||||
| 11 | TUNNEL-FIGHTER - Having
trained in the claustrophobic caverns of nearby caves in your youth, the
cramped conditions of a dungeon stairway cause you no problems at all. This skill gives your Warrior +1 on his to hit rolls when fighting in corridors, junctions, stairways. and other similar enclosed places. |
||||||||
| 12 | TRADEMASTER - Deciding
against your usual supplier of axes you search out a little backstreet
market stall selling comparable goods but much more cheaply. This skill gives your Warrior a canny eye for searching out bargains. While in a Settlement you may roll an extra 1D6 when making the dice roll to see if an item is in stock. In addition, when your Warrior buys an item roll 1D6. On a score of 6 he gets it at half price. |
Dwarfs are proud and canny Warriors, expert at digging and delving below the earth. They are generally good with mechanisms and their stubbornness makes them quite resilient to magic. Underground they are in their element, often able to find traps or identify faded inscriptions that the other Warriors would not even notice. They are not very good at acrobatics or fancy footwork, however, preferring to keep their feet planted firmly on the ground whilst they get a good swinging attack in with a solid Dwarf axe.
CHARACTERISTIC TESTS
In game terms, these traits are represented by giving Dwarf Warriors bonuses on tests that involve secret passages, secret doors and traps, etc. Sometimes they can even gain bonuses to Willpower tests that have to be made in order to resist magic, hypnotism, possession and the like. On the other hand, a Dwarf will suffer minuses to his tests if he is trying to leap and run around like an Elf.
| Battle Level | Gold | Title | WS | BS | STR | Damage Dice* | T | W | I | A | Luck | WP | Skills ** |
Pin |
| 1 | 0 | Novice | 4 | 5+ | 3 | 1 (+1) | 4 | 1D6+8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5+ |
| 2 | 2,000 | Champion | 5 | 5+ | 3 | 1 (+1) | 4 | 2D6+8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5+ |
| 3 | 4,000 | Champion | 5 | 5+ | 3 | 1 (+1) | 5 | 3D6+8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5+ |
| 4 | 8,000 | Champion | 5 | 4+ | 4 | 1 (+1) | 5 | 4D6+8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5+ |
| 5 | 12,000 | Hero | 6 | 4+ | 4 | 2 (+1) | 5 | 4D6+8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4+ |
| 6 | 18,000 | Hero | 7 | 4+ | 4 | 2 (+1) | 5 | 4D6+8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4+ |
| 7 | 24,000 | Hero | 7 | 3+ | 4 | 2 (+1) | 5 | 5D6+8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4+ |
| 8 | 32,000 | Hero | 7 | 3+ | 4 | 2 (+1) | 5 | 5D6+8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4+ |
| 9 | 45,000 | Lord | 7 | 2+ | 4 | 3 (+1) | 5 | 6D6+8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4+ |
| 10 | 50,000 | Lord | 7 | 2+ | 4 | 3 (+1) | 5 | 7D6+8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4+ |
* When using his Great Axe, the Dwarf gets 1 extra dice when determining damage, discarding the lowest: at all Battle-levels. See his full Great Axe rules under the Advanced Rules section earlier in this document.
** It might be argued that he already has a skill in the way that he
can wield his Great Axe (and even trip upon his beard), but that has more to do
with his race and his weapon and it is not classified as a skill for the
purpose of training.
NOTES:
Many of the above rules were copied word-for-word from the RolePlay Book. The basic rules are edited and interpreted from the Dwarf's original profile and equipment cards. The wording of some of the above rules was modified to hopefully clarify some things. One primary example is the advanced rules for the Great Axe. This particular modification was done to include the gist of the explanations given in the FAQ document and hopefully to improve upon even the explanations given there. It is the editor's opinion that each gaming group and/or GM will need to decide for themselves how they will interpret the Great Axe rules when more damage dice are involved.
Edited and formatted by Old Warrior especially for online gaming reference.
Disclaimer: This document is not meant to violate any copyrights. Please ensure that it is only used for personal reference and that it is not posted in any public forum. These rules are primarily intended for a quick reference for those who already know and use the Warhammer Quest rules and gaming tools. Online referencing of this document is strictly limited to private gaming groups who already have access to the full rules of Warhammer Quest.
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